Close Call
by Miss Bridget Sharpe
Summary: Ginger confesses something to the Professor. Set during Ship Ahoax. One Shot.


_**A/N Takes place during Ship Ahoax. A wonderful Pinger filled episode. Enjoy!**_

"I can't believe it! I can't believe it!" Ginger exclaimed as she and the Professor hurried into her hut. "I did it! I predicted a boat and it's true! It's true!"  
"I have to admit it is pretty amazing." The Professor stated. "We may finally be rescued!"

The excitement Ginger felt was staring to fade. The realization had hit her. Rescued.

Back home. Which meant…he wouldn't be in her life anymore. She would never see him again. Putting on a brave smile Ginger said. "It's wonderful."  
She sat down at her table with her cards going through them.

The Professor sensed something was wrong. "You alright Ginger? I thought you would be happier."  
"I'm alright. Just um….you know over…overwhelmed." She mindlessly placed the cards down on the table, tears started to form but she would not let them show.  
The academic sat down. "Ginger what's wrong?"  
"Nothing…" She replied with a tiny smile her eyes still on the cards. The actress turned one of them over and choked back a sob.  
"What? What is it? Ginger…"  
"It's...No…forget it….You don't believe it anyway.." She said shuffling the card back into the deck.  
"Ginger, tell me." He pressed.  
"Well." She began. "I um…I got a King Of Hearts."  
"And what does that mean?" He inquired.

"It means that….A wonderful handsome man will come into my life."  
The Professor was puzzled. "Isn't that what you want?"  
"Yes." She squeaked as tears began to spill over. "It is."

"What is the matter? Why are you so upset?" The Professor questioned.  
"I'm not upset." Ginger said wiping her tears. "I'm just….I'm happy. Happy we are going home and I can go back to Hollywood and…." The actress could not go on as her sobs overtook her. She placed her head in her arms on the table.

The Professor was perplexed by this and attempted again to get out of her what the matter was. "Ginger, why are you crying? Don't tell me it's because you are happy. Something is bothering you. I want to know what it is."

Ginger slowly sat up lifting her tear stained face. "I don't want to leave you." She managed to get out.  
"Leave me?" He asked stunned.  
"I…I don't want to go home if it means that I can't see you anymore. I want _you _to be the handsome man coming into my life. I love you Professor."  
The academic was taken aback by this. Ginger loved him? Since when? How long?  
"I um…Ginger….when…"  
The actress sniffed. "Since the beginning." She confessed. "Well when we were on the Minnow I was attracted to you and when we ended up shipwrecked here my attraction grew and then it became love. I love you. I don't want to leave this island if it means that I can't be near you. If you want the truth I was always secretly glad our rescue attempts fell flat because it meant I could still be with you. If we get rescued…I won't see you anymore. I can't stand the thought of it!"

The redhead blew her nose into her handkerchief. "I know that I should be an adult about it. I shouldn't be so selfish. I don't meant to be but I can't help it. I don't really want that stupid fleet of ships to find us. Not if it means I lose you."

The Professor stood up taking in everything Ginger had told him. She was in love with him. She had been for a long time. How was that possible? How did he ever attract the attention of a beautiful woman like Ginger? It was a puzzle to him.

His mind drifted back to not fifteen minutes ago when he had pulled Ginger into his arms after her prediction came true. The man of science had to admit to himself he liked the way she felt in his arms.

Roy Hinkley never had a woman care about him as much as Ginger appeared to.  
She wanted to stay on the island because she wanted to remain with him. It wasn't the first time she did that. He had not forgotten about the eye of the idol.  
He had believed the whole thing to be ridiculous. The others thought differently.  
To make a point, he stated that he was not going to join them in their group and none of them were going anywhere. He was certain that they would all see how silly it all was or at least that was part of it. What he wanted to see is what Ginger thought was more important. Him or Hollywood. It was true that he felt a strong attraction to her.  
When Mary Ann proclaimed that she too would stay, it didn't phase him. Then Mrs. Howell told Mr. Howell he needed to stay with them. Professor paid no attention. Even when Mrs. Howell said she needed to be with her husband, it made to difference to him.

He waited until that moment that glorious moment when Ginger declared that Hollywood could wait. It was only then that he knew that Ginger cared more for him than her career. She was willing to put him before it. That was all the encouragement he needed to then reluctantly agree to go along with their initial belief about what he still believed was nothing more than eleven dollars worth of quartz.

Now he finds out all this time, that Ginger never wanted to actually leave in the first place because it meant she would be away from him. Truth was he did not want to be away from her. To go back home and never see her lovely face. Never see her beautiful smile. Have her kiss him. He counted himself lucky that she never kissed anyone the way she did him. The kisses she gave Gilligan were nothing compared to what she landed on him. With him it was more passionate, more intense.

Ginger broke the silence. "I'm sorry that I put this all on you at once. I guess I should have told you my feelings a lot sooner but I always thought there was time. I never believed…"  
The Professor turned to her. " Ginger you don't need to apologize to me. There is no need to be sorry for loving someone."

"Yes well my timing is lousy." Ginger said with a small smile. "Here I am confessing all this to you when there is a good chance we will be rescued."

Before the Professor could reply, Gilligan came rushing in. "I heard on the radio that the Navy picked up this group on another island. They are heading back. Looks like we aren't going to be rescued." He said with a frown.  
"Oh that's too bad." Ginger said holding in a smile. "I thought for sure…"  
"Yeah I know." Gilligan sulked. "Maybe next time." He said before leaving the hut.

Ginger tried to keep her smile in but couldn't. The Professor pulled her up out of her chair. "You seem awfully cheerful for someone who was just told she is going to remain on this island."  
"I know. It's terrible." She said.

The Professor pulled her in and placed a kiss on her lips. The two held eachother tightly.

Gilligan peaked through the window and smiled. He made up the story about the other rescue. He heard the whole conversation between Ginger and the Professor.

The young sailor didn't want Ginger to be sad so he made up a story. He hoped the others wouldn't be too upset.

The End.


End file.
